The Return of the Betrayed Heir

16

The dragon commanded sharply. *(Close your eyes and follow the blood.)*

Alex shut his eyes, filtering out his panic until he pinpointed a thin thread of foul mana radiating from the dark edge of the cave. Opening his eyes, he marched straight toward it.

He stopped in front of a solid, seamless stone wall at the deepest end of the cavern. There was nothing visible to the naked eye—just rough rock.

*(He's behind this wall,)* Alex said firmly.

He ran his fingers over the stone, searching for a hidden switch or magic array, but found nothing. Frustrated, he clenched his fist and struck the rock with all his strength.

A hairline crack appeared. Taking a deep breath, Alex channeled a massive burst of mana into his right arm and delivered a devastating punch to the fracture. The stone wall shattered completely, crumbling into a cloud of dust.

Using a burst of wind magic, Alex blew the dust away. As the air cleared, it revealed a hidden chamber made entirely of pristine white marble, engraved with glowing golden runes.

Slumped against the far marble wall sat Osiris, his body covered in severe wounds and dried blood.

Alex rushed over and dropped to his knees beside him. "Master...!"

He gently lifted Osiris's head. The legendary purple eye on his forehead had gone dim and hollow, but his two regular eyes fluttered open weakly.

"Ah... young dragon..." Osiris rasped, his voice barely a whisper.

"I'm here!" Alex said, his voice shaking. "What happened to you?! Who did this?!"

Osiris offered a faint, tired smile. "Forgive me for greeting you like this... It seems my old wounds finally caught up with me. Surviving this long was already a miracle..."

A sudden realization struck Alex like lightning. Throughout his training, he had occasionally caught the faint smell of blood around Osiris. He had never realized that his master was slowly dying from unhealable internal injuries the entire time!

"Don't waste your breath on questions," Osiris whispered, coughing weakly. "My time ends here. But before I go, there are words you must carry with you."

Alex leaned in, his heart heavy. "I'm listening, Master."

"You will become a force capable of reshaping this continent," Osiris said with quiet intensity. "Never doubt your potential. Keep refining your strength... You will stand at the very apex of this world. Perhaps... one day, you will even become a **God**."

Alex's eyes widened in shock, speechlessness washing over him.

Osiris reached out with a trembling, bloodstained hand and gripped Alex's right wrist. "I never gave my only disciple a proper gift... Take this as my final legacy to you."

A tiny, three-eyed magical insect emerged from Osiris's wrist and burrowed directly into Alex's skin. A strange, searing warmth surged through Alex's veins as his body accepted the energy, molding it into a sleek, retractable blade embedded directly into his arm bone.

Alex stared at his arm in disbelief. "Is this... your sword?"

Osiris coughed up blood, nodding faintly. "Its name is **Greed**... It is a living weapon imbued with a portion of my original power. As your strength grows, you can evolve its properties and shape it as you see fit."

The magical energy faded, and the weapon retracted beneath his skin, leaving no trace behind.

"Thank you... for everything, Master," Alex said, his voice thick with genuine grief.

Osiris smiled peacefully. "It was the least I could do... You mastered my martial techniques and swordplay with frightening speed. The rest is up to you now. I wish I could have taught you more, but this is as far as my body goes."

"You taught me more than enough to change my fate," Alex replied softly. "I will never forget what you did for me."

Osiris's body began to glow with a gentle, golden light. "I am glad... My time is up. Take care of yourself, young dragon. A long road lies ahead, and every step you take will shape the future. Move with purpose."

With those final words, Osiris's form shattered into countless golden particles that floated gracefully toward the ceiling before vanishing completely into the air.

Alex stood alone in the marble room, staring at the empty space where his master had sat. "Rest easy, Master," he whispered. "I won't disappoint you."

Suddenly, the cavern began to tremble violently, dust and debris raining down from above.

*(Alex! The cave is collapsing, we have to get out now!)* Tessarion yelled.

Alex bolted toward the exit as the Asura Water in the pool evaporated completely into thin air. He leaped through the tree trunk passage just as the ancient tree collapsed inward, dissolving into dust until no trace of the cavern remained—as if it had never existed at all.

Alex stood in the quiet forest for a long moment, watching the empty ground. Then, adjusting his bag and tightening the sword at his waist, he turned toward the path leading out of the woods.

The training ground was gone. It was time to step out into the wider world... toward the Elf Kingdom.